Caster & Spell Pen

[RumbIe]

So I made a caster druid when they first came out and everyone was building dps wolves. I figured why go druid if you weren't blasting stuff. I didn't have a lot to go off of and had some fun, but shelved it for some other alts that I was enjoying. So the other day I run a wheloon elite at heroic level and before my zeus build can even get close to the mobs it's word of balance, FOD, word of balance, FOD and mobs are dropping like crazy.

I end up running some GH stuff on epic later on with another druid and I'm melee and same thing. Just questing like a boss. So it got me excited again. I mean that kind of insta kill and the best cc in game (earthquake) all with great healing in a cool druid form. Count me in. So I go look up caster builds and there seem to be one main one. The evoker. However most comments and posts indicate to skip spell pen. However it seems that FOD and WOB (Word of Balance, not Banshee) all require that and caster builds are using it effectively. Am I missing something? Do druids not require a spell check for those? Are not all druids skipping spell pen and in fact some are building around it?

Thanks

[unbongwah]

However it seems that FOD and WOB (Word of Balance, not Banshee) all require that and caster builds are using it effectively. Am I missing something? Do druids not require a spell check for those? Are not all druids skipping spell pen and in fact some are building around it?

You are correct: both spells have Spell Pen checks, as does Howl of Terror. But druids are feat-starved and it's not worth it to invest heavily into Spell Pen just for those few spells. I just don't bother using them against anything with decent SR.

[SirValentine]

However most comments and posts indicate to skip spell pen. However it seems that FOD and WOB (Word of Balance, not Banshee) all require that and caster builds are using it effectively. Am I missing something? Do druids not require a spell check for those? Are not all druids skipping spell pen and in fact some are building around it?

What you're missing is that most mobs don't have any Spell Resistance at all. So you can use FoD & Balance on them just fine with no Spell Pen investment.

Then on high-Spell-Resistance mobs, switch to different spells that don't care about Spell Resistance and Spell Pen. Direct-damage-elemental-nuking-type stuff, for instance.

[Vooduspyce]

So I made a caster druid when they first came out and everyone was building dps wolves. I figured why go druid if you weren't blasting stuff. I didn't have a lot to go off of and had some fun, but shelved it for some other alts that I was enjoying. So the other day I run a wheloon elite at heroic level and before my zeus build can even get close to the mobs it's word of balance, FOD, word of balance, FOD and mobs are dropping like crazy. I end up running some GH stuff on epic later on with another druid and I'm melee and same thing. Just questing like a boss. So it got me excited again. I mean that kind of insta kill and the best cc in game (earthquake) all with great healing in a cool druid form. Count me in. So I go look up caster builds and there seem to be one main one. The evoker. However most comments and posts indicate to skip spell pen. However it seems that FOD and WOB (Word of Balance, not Banshee) all require that and caster builds are using it effectively. Am I missing something? Do druids not require a spell check for those? Are not all druids skipping spell pen and in fact some are building around it?Thanks

FOD can work for heroic levels on a druid, but it's not going to be effective in epics. A caster druid only has 2 spells that require a spell pen check (FOD and WOB), neither of which are important enough on a druid to invest in spell pen for. If you want to invest in spell pen on your druid, swap it out once you get to epic levels. I recommend focusing on Call Lightning, which can instakill many mobs into the upper teen levels, and Greater Creeping Cold, which cannot be resisted and there is no save for, mobs will take the damage no matter what, unless they are immune to cold. Like I say on my build post.... druids and FOD... don't do it, it's a trap!

[RumbIe]

Thanks. I appreciate the feedback. I will stay away from Spell Pen and listen to those with experience on the builds. I want to enjoy it as much as I see other caster druids so I'm not going to stray from the path.

[cru121]

that said, spending some AP for spell penetration and wearing some spell penetration item is often enough to beat SR on easier epic difficulties.
(for spamming wob spell/SLA)

[HastyPudding]

that said, spending some AP for spell penetration and wearing some spell penetration item is often enough to beat SR on easier epic difficulties.
(for spamming wob spell/SLA)

Wizard and FVS past lives help, as well. I recall my first druid life on my caster; with 3 wizard and 2 fvs past lives, no spell pen feats taken, and only a +2 spell pen item, I had 0 blue bubbles popping up from 1-22 (I TR'd before going any further). The glory of druid is never needing to see those blue bubbles ever again. Of course, three sorcerer past lives can't hurt, either.